The Toronto Blue Jays coughed up yet another victory in Tampa Bay last night with a 2-1 extra inning loss to the Rays.

The Jays sent Marc Rzepczynski (pronounced Zep-Chin-Ski) to the mound to make his major league debut against Rays starter “Big Game” James Shields.

Marc Rzepczynski looked impressive in his big league debut.

Rzepczynski was impressive in his major league debut with a final pitching line of 6.0IP, 2H, 1ER, 4BB, 7K.

The one run allowed by Rzepczynski came via a bases loaded walk to Gabe Kapler in the bottom of the 4th inning.

Scott Rolen tied the game at one with an RBI single in the eighth inning, which also extended his hitting streak to a career best twenty four games.

Also in the eighth Aaron Hill was thrown out at home plate by Rays centre fielder B.J Upton, after Hill tried to score from second on a Vernon Wells single.

Vernon Wells had a decent night for the Jays out of the sixth spot in the batting order, going three for five.

Shawn Camp pitched well in relief of Rzepczynski. Camp pitched three shutout innings, walking one and allowing no hits.

The game ended up going into extra innings, where Tampa Bay designated hitter Pat Burrell ended the game with a two run home run off of struggling Jays reliever Brandon League in the bottom of the eleventh inning.

The Blue Jays should not have lost this game for two reasons.

The number one reason can be blamed on the Jays lack of offense.

The Jays totaled ten hits, as opposed to four from Tampa, but could only manufacture one run.

James Shields did not pitch an impressive game what so ever, the Jays just could not cash in when they needed to.

Personally I do not blame this game on anything but one umpire.

Although it may have seemed miniscule to most viewers of this game at the time it happened, the Rays first run that ended up helping them into extra innings, where they eventually won the game, was fraudulent.

Home plate umpire James Hoye did a terrible job behind home plate last night.

Umpire James Hoye may have cost the Jays a victory last night in Tampa.

Not only was Hoye terrible as far as not giving many pitch calls to young rookie Marc Rzepczynski, Hoye was terrible at calling balls and strikes the entire night for both teams.

Viewers could even see the frustration on the faces of Tampa Bay players B.J Upton & Carl Crawford, Upton on more than one occasion.

I personally counted on numerous occasions’ balls that were strikes and vice versa.

The biggest error on Hoye’s part in last night’s game cost the Jays a victory.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, with the bases loaded and Marc Rzepczynski having his first rough patch of the game Hoye let not one, but two straight strike calls go unnoticed to batter Gabe Kapler.

Hoye’s missed calls lead to a bases loaded walk to Kapler, plating Tampa’s only run of the game at that time.

The 2-2 pitch was a strike in any umpires book and upon inspection of the replay from TSN’s instant replay, it was apparent to anyone watching that Hoye completely missed this call.

Rzepczynski proceeded to throw a pitch, to the almost identical location of the 2-2 pitch on 3-2, and again did not get a call. This lead to the run I mentioned above, and an eventual loss for the Jays.

I understand what Major League umpires, manning home plate, are doing when they give close strike calls to veteran pitchers and close ball calls to veteran hitters.

Some would say these veterans have earned the rights to these calls; therefore they receive them from umpires.

Although I think it is unfair that umpires make these decisions, they should never be biased in any way to any player based on years of Major League playing experience.

I understand why it happens and I have come to accept it.

What I have never understood is the purpose of not giving a young pitcher, or hitter, the complete opposite.

Your job as a home plate umpire is to call strikes and balls based on your view of the plate.

Every home plate umpire has a different strike zone, some to the advantage of pitchers, some to the advantage of hitters, but all obvious strikes and balls are normally called in a correct manner by umpires.

By obvious, I mean so in a literal sense.

If a pitch is thrown directly down the middle of the plate, belt high, with no movement, it will be called a strike by any umpire who does not have a disability in their vision. The same can be said for a pitch thrown directly down the middle of the plate, helmet high, with no movement, which will be called a ball.

This was not the case in last night’s game, as I am under the impression that home plate umpire Jame Hoye missed two blatantly obvious strikes calls which cost the Jays the opening game against Tampa.

Did Hoye miss these calls because it was Rzepczynski’s major league debut? Or did he perhaps miss these calls because he has a terrible strike zone? Or perhaps, like I mentioned above, Hoye is actually blind in one or both of his eyes?

Either way, he missed the calls.

Keep in mind that this is my opinion, but it is a strong one, and I’m sure viewers of the game are in agreement with me.

Vote for Adam Lind!

The Jays play game two of a three game series tonight in Tampa.

The Jays send left hander Brian Tallet (5-6, 4.38ERA) to the mound to square off against Tampa left hander Scott Kazmir (4-5, 6.79ERA).

Visit the Toronto Blue Jays homepage foe details on how to vote:

http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/

You can vote as many times as you want, so please help Adam Lind make his first All-Star appearance by voting now.

Final deadline for voting is tomorrow Thursday July 9th 2009 @ 4:00pm EST.